Recently, Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi has sent a letter to President Hu Jintao, expressing his condolence over the loses of Chinese people's lives caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). He said the Chinese government has offered important cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), which would benefit all countries that have suffered from SARS.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, in his message to Premier Wen Jiabao, said that the Vietnamese government and the people praise highly the efforts made by the Chinese government and its people in fighting SARS. He also expressed hope for further cooperation with China in combating the disease.